Sinful Caress
by Passing-Glance
Summary: AU He'd seen her from afar. She was so very delectible and he ached to have her. But there was something in his way, something he needed to dispose of in order to have her. Unfortunately for him, she'd die to keep 'it' safe. Drabble Series
1. Prompt 1: Strange Encounters

_**[AN] Random prompts. Random word counts. New drabble series. The idea came from Inspired100's forum on LJ. **_

_**Also, this is an **alternate universe** where Kagome is a demon. Shippo is her **real son**. I will try to follow canon, but I will also deviate. But where? Well, you will just have to find out. Hopefully though, you won't get too confused. In time, I'm sure it will all make sense.**_

_**So, without further ado, Enjoy!**_

* * *

Sinful Caress

_Posted: April 16, 2010  
__Updated: May 22, 2013__  
_

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**-Strange Encounters-**

The morning was like any other. A cool wind blew in from the north bringing with it the smell of rice sprouts and cooking meats. The sun rose lazily over the horizon, before being covered by dark rain clouds. By mid-morning those clouds let loose a gentle smattering of rain. And like any other day Kagome woke to the soft tapping against the wood of her hut.

She rose drowsily from her pallet, careful not to wake the small kit lying beside her. The toddler shifted, sensing her retreat but still did not wake. Kagome smiled at her baby as he cuddled into the straw bedding, seeking her fading warmth.

Shippo was barely a hundred years of age, an infant in kitsune standards, and still so small.

She moved toward the huts entrance that was covered by a cloth. Pulling it aside, she was surprised to see a female Inu standing there. The Inu was staring at her fidgeting feet with wide and troubled eyes. Her drooping brown ears twitched irritably, causing Kagome to raise a single brow.

"Kagome-sama," the female whispered. Eyes still downcast, the Inu reached a clawed hand forward and grabbed Kagome's forearm. "It's shifting. Please help, it hurts."

The young woman fidgeted uneasily on her feet, and Kagome couldn't help but smile at the confused and uneasy child. The brown Inu was so young, hardly out of her adolescent years, and yet she was already pupped and expecting the little bundle within a few short months.

Compassionately, Kagome tried soothing the confused female. "Calm yourself, Aiko-san, 'tis normal."

Behind her hand, Kagome smiled. It was terribly disrespectful to Inu to bear one's teeth, but she couldn't not smile.

"Come, I'll grab you a few teas that might settle that pup of yours."

Striding back into her small hut, Kagome found her mind wandering. The poor thing was not old enough to bear a pup without jitters. And, by the looks of it, it would turn out to be a hard labor. She pitied Aiko the long process to come. The young Inu was such a small thing, and it seemed the pup would take after its muscular father.

"I can give you a peppermint leaf to chew on, if you'd like?"

Aiko eyed the herb gratefully. "Thank you, Kagome-sama."

Kagome patted Aiko's arm affectionately. Besides being young, Aiko was a rather high-strung individual. Peppermint was the perfect cure, as it seemed to calm her nerves and set her at ease.

"I suggest you take it easy." Kagome continued. "No heavy lifting, lots of rest, and make sure you eat well." Aiko bit her lip and shifted uneasily. Aiko was a farmer's wife. She rarely, if ever, was able to do any of those things. "This tea will help. Take it twice daily. Don't skip a dose. And you know, if you need anything, you can always come back."

The girl nodded. "I do appreciate this, Kagome-sama."

Kagome smiled and lead her out of her hut. The Inu took it slow, and after bowing respectfully, left.

As Kagome turned away, she caught sight of silver from the corner of her eye. She stared for only a second, before returning to the warmth and comfort of her hut. The color wasn't so strange after all, what with the village's large canine community. And so she didn't think twice when she saw it again and again over the next few weeks, thinking it to be a village scout or hunter. She didn't suspect it might be someone more sinister.


	2. Prompt 2: I Need You Closer

Sinful Caress

_Posted: April 16, 2010  
Updated: May 22, 2013_

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**-I need you so much closer-**

Teeth chattering, Kagome watched the rain fall from the gray clouds overhead. It was abnormally cold for the time of year, even if it was the rainy season.

At midday, with sleet dusting the ground and air cooled to uncomfortably cold levels, she wondered briefly about the swift change. Was it an omen?

Not to mention, most of the village's inhabitants were inside, unwilling to work in such dismal weather.

She knew that the villagers were waiting for the frothy weather to dissolve. They were probably hoping for it to stop so they could return to their fields and assess the damages. She figured there would be quite a few crops lost. In these conditions, it was always possible.

She also knew that it was unlikely to clear anytime soon. She hardly cared, as it gave her a day to herself, something she appreciated very much.

As the resident healer, she was always being bombarded by complaints or demands. Whether it was for a simple headache or a more urgent injury, she never had a decent break.

She sighed. Her duties were trying, and there were days when she wished she could stop and runaway. But she knew she couldn't nor would she. She was needed, and she wouldn't shirk her responsibilities just because she was tired and felt stretched to her limit.

"Haha-ue?" Drawn from her thoughts, she turned her attention to her little boy who came stumbling out from behind the woolen flap. He froze when the cold air met his exposed limbs before retreating back to the warmth and protection of their home. "Tha—That was cold." She heard him whisper from the other side of the cloth, and she couldn't restrain herself from chuckling.

"Indeed, tis cold." Her eyes gleamed. "What are you doing, Shippo-chan? You should be napping." She scolded.

"I'm not tired anymore," he whined.

Kagome raise a brow inquiringly. "Oh?" Crossing her arms and leaning against the side of the hut, she tilted her head to the side in question. "And why is that, my little one?"

She could hear his little paws shuffling against the wooden floor. "Do you love me, haha-ue?"

"Of course," she replied automatically.

How many times had he asked her that same question?

In the next instant, she turned her head at the sound of shifting fabric. She saw little pointed fox ears and enchanting green eyes—so much like his father's. Love filled her to the brim. She reached out, taking him into her arms and swaddling him in her kimono front.

"Okay," he said, snuggling into her chest, "I love you too Haha-ue."

Her mouth twisted into an adoring grin. She loved her son more than he knew. He was her light—the fire to her ice, the sun to her moon. She would do anything for him. And if it was in her power, she would give him the world—anything for her boy.


	3. Prompt 3: Forever Yours

_Sinful Caress_

_Posted: April 16, 2010  
Updated: May 22, 2013_

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**-Forever yours-**

Inhale then exhale. Kagome repeated this action slowly. It was a daily exercise that kept her focused and centered. Ever since her mate, Hojo, had been killed in a raid she had taken to the exercise. It was like meditation, but not so involved. Yet, it calmed her.

Today though, she couldn't seem to find that calm. Everything just felt wrong. And she knew why. Today was the anniversary of Hojo's death.

As a kitsune, family was important. Most _troops_, as the family unite was called, consisted of life mates and several litters. It wasn't unusual for a troop to consist of 35 to 40 members. Kitsune were communal creatures after all. What was unusual was for kitsune to be alone.

Kagome sighed. She missed her mate dearly, he had been her rock—unyielding and unchanging, where as she had been the opposite—always moving and never the same.

"Forever yours, my love. Twas that not your verse?" She said as her gaze trailed up to the sky. The moon was out in full, setting the world around her aglow. It was hauntingly beautiful and painfully reminiscent of the first night they had met.

_"You there, you're not welcome here."_

_Flash of red. Startling green eyes. Easy grin. "Eh? Oh, hello!"_

_"Are you daft?"_

_A laugh. "No, just riveted. Looked at that moon."_

_"The moon?"_

_"Did you know Ipomoea bloom only at night?"_

Kagome smiled fondly. She hadn't known what he was talking about then, but she had learned, although not right away. Their first encounter hadn't gone well. She'd ended up chasing him off her land after beating him soundly into it. But he'd come back, intent on getting a few stems of Ipomoea, which apparently, her land had plenty of.

It was after several of these attempts that she'd come to think of him as more than just a silly know-it-all. He'd grown on her, his sweet temperament and unwavering calm a balm to her wildness.

_"Here, try this." _

_Blink. Sniff. Cough. "What is that?"_

_White teeth and a soft chuckle. "Just chew it."_

_Surprising taste. Retching. "That's awful!"_

_"It's peppermint." _

After a bit of hesitation Kagome had decided to travel with Hojo. They'd become fast friends after their many encounters and he told such wonderful stories of places beyond her little plot of land. She'd never quite realized how small her world had been until she'd met him. Together they'd traveled all over Japan and the continent, visiting villages. She'd come to learn how much good she could do for the villagers they encountered as well as how much she still had to learn. Those times had been the most wonderful.

She'd come to love him not soon after. Never in her life had she felt such. It hadn't been explosive but rather slow. From deep within the coals were lit and ever so slowly sparked a flame. That flame still burned in her heart. And she knew that in no way would it ever go out.

"Where are you now, Hojo?" Kagome wondered, staring at the night sky. "Are you watching over us?"

Above a streak of light flashed across the sky, dazzling Kagome. From inside the hut, Shippo stirred. With one last glimpse toward the stars, she picked herself up and made her way inside. Her son slept on, much to her amusement.

No, she thought, that flame would never go out. Hojo may be gone, but not really. In her son, he was still alive and well.

Everyday she saw her mates intelligent twinkle in her son's eyes, calm kindness in his manners, and the love for life in his actions. She was so proud of him, but even more so she was grateful. Out of everything he had done for her, she was more grateful for their son. He'd given her everything by giving her Shippo. And for that she would always love him.


	4. Prompt 4: I Don't Tell Anyone

_Sinful Caress_

_Posted: April 16, 2010  
Updated: May 22, 2013_

* * *

**-I don't tell anyone about the way you hold my hand-**

"Ye must promise!"

Kagome took a step back, startled by the demand. "But he will find out," she said, glaring at the female before her. "You must say something!"

"But ye will not!" she screeched. "But ye will not…"

Kagome sighed. She leaned back against her hut's wall, drawing as much support from the structure as she could. She truly felt overwhelmed. "He will notice, Aiko." She sighed, with sadness and fatigue.

The Inu had come to her in the dead of night, complaining of pain and discomfort. But Kagome had known the truth when the young female's blood had begun to flow down her thighs to pool on the ground in puddles.

She worked hard and diligently to save the pup, but it had been positioned wrong. She could do nothing without consequence to either party. Save the pup and kill the mother, or let the pup die for the sake of the mother's health. It had been a difficult decision to make, and in the end it was made for her.

Lying on a cloth on the other side of the small wooden hut, a still form remained unmoving. She had tried, Kami had she tried. But fate was a cruel mistress.

"What should we do with him?" she asked the pup's distraught mother.

The female did not answer her at first, simply staring into the fire pit in the center of the room. "Burn it, bury it…it matters not. He is still gone." Tears tracked down Aiko's cheeks, and she whimpered with repressed sorrow. "What should I do?"

Kagome move to sit beside the young woman, her blue speckled eyes full of pain and pity. "I will—I will take care of the infant." She said, taking a firm hold of the female's upper arm. "You should go to your mate."

Aiko nodded haltingly. "Yes, he will wonder where I am. You're right. Thank you!" She stood, glancing back only once toward the bundle in the corner. "He will be alright, won't he?" She asked, blinking back desperate tears.

"Yes," Kagome whispered, ushering the Inu from her home carefully, mindful of her fragile state. "I'll take good care of him."

When Aiko was long gone, Kagome returned to her hut and the cold corpse therein. She took the bundle into her arms, and shuffled back outside—into the woods.

She would bury the little one. Give him back to mother earth where he could be coddled and warm in her loving embrace. "Not even a name," she said, gazing sadly at the bloody face. "You came and went to early, little one."

Taking the small infants hand into hers, she caressed the little wrinkled fingers and dainty palm. She hoped Aiko would tell her mate on her own, for as a healer, she could not speak a word.


	5. Prompt 5: Omens and Stealth

**[AN]** The prompt came from a different LJ Community this time: **Ebony_Silks**. Random word counts. Random prompts. Thank you to all my readers and especially those who reviewed. And an even bigger thanks to: **Blue, Cosmic Lover, Diane, and Foxluna **for being delinquent followers and reviewers. You're the reason I write. Cheers!

_Sinful Caress_

_Posted: April 16, 2010  
Updated: May 22, 2013_

* * *

**-Omens and Stealth-**

Kagome dug feverishly with her hands as tears tracked down her cheeks. She worked into the night pulling up roots and soil but never seeming to get the hole deep enough.

When she could barely see though her tears, Kagome stopped. Her shoulders shook as she hunched forward wearily. Her shaking hands shielded her eyes, streaking dirt onto her face. She tried to hold back her emotions but she just couldn't remove the vision of the hard, lifeless corpse.

"Kami why?" She cried.

She didn't think she could do this. She had said she would, but she didn't think she could.

"Please!" She sobbed though she didn't know what for."Please!"

Her desperate cries went unanswered.

Standing, her head shaking, she backed away. One hesitant step after the other. She didn't want to just leave it, but she couldn't do it.

Kagome's eyes constantly returned to the infant, wrapped in cloth of harsh fibers and mold.

Death was ugly. It contorted the small body into a bloody macabre effigy. The eyes were the worst—unfocused and motionless, they stared lifelessly into the beyond, seeing and yet unseeing.

Turning her back on the infant, Kagome ran. She ran as fast as her feet could carry her. She ran to her son and away from Aiko's dead one.

Unknown to her, the forest shuttered to life, pulsing in time with a demonic force. Power shifted through the boughs of the trees and into their roots. The ground vibrated minutely, obediently awaiting orders.

If she had taken the time to look, Kagome would have witnessed a peculiar sight. Command given, the ground glowed green before strange vines rose from the soft soil. They slithered like serpents toward the tiny little Inu body, winding around the bundled form. The vines seemed to take great care in handling the precious being wrapped in its coils before finally dragging the motionless pup down into the earth for its eternal rest.


	6. Prompt 6: Flow

Sinful Caress

_Posted: April 16, 2010  
Updated: May 22, 2013_

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**-Flow-**

He stood with his back against the bark of an age old tree, starring across a small river that flowed north. On the other bank, oblivious to his inquisitive eyes, another kitsune sat bathing.

She was a beauty—her black coloring unique to their kind and her eyes…even more so. He had never seen a kitsune with blue eyes. Green and gold were the most common, and sometimes the bland and impossibly boring color of brown was as well. But blue eyes…now, those were rare—quite a treasure.

It had been a few months since she had first caught his golden gaze. Her black tresses had drawn his attention to her, but it had been her eyes that had kept it.

A soft echo drew his mind back to the present. He observed her movements, which were fluid and graceful, with golden eyes full of desire.

Dainty hands held onto a plain white linen. They brought it up from the shallow depths of the leisurely moving brook and deftly wrung it out. Water poured through her fingers and onto the grassy bank.

The female took great care in ringing out the soaking cloth, making sure it was damp but not sopping. She would then brush it up her arms, neck, and chest. Though to his eyes she was clean, the female continued in this vein stroking and washing.

A shiver ran down his spine. Lust consumed him, but also excitement. She was a delectable sight, innocent and yet not. Perfect for one such as he.


	7. Prompt 7: Signal

_Sinful Caress_

_Posted: April 16, 2010  
Updated: May 22, 2013_

* * *

**-Signal-**

Moving through the trees of the surrounding forest near their home, Kagome and several other individuals found themselves following a local dankai†. He was a good tracker and went out often to scent out potential prey for the hunters. But on his last round he had found something rather odd—something that had startled him to his core.

"I don' understands it," he said from the front of the group. He had been muttering since they had left the village, speaking constantly of these _bizarre markings_ with great fervor. "It's just not normal. I mean, I 'ave seen tis before, and know what tis is, but never 'ave I seen it 'ere."

The male Inu shook his head, and continued his rant. Several members of their party nodded sympathetically, while many others just kept their heads forward and their feet moving.

Apparently the marks were a few leagues to the south of their current position. So it would take time for them to reach the place where it presently resided. Not to mention, none of their group desired to be gone from the village too long.

"Can you describe the markings, Jiro-san?" Kagome asked, stepping forward to be only a few paces behind him. A few individuals grunted their agreement, wanting to know the same thing.

This occurrence was troubling. Markings were not something to be taken lightly, for they could mean anything. It was not a usual happening, as in youkai society, markings were serious and frequently devastating. And it scared many of them. The lands were not stable; war and rebellion took place often and caused many to be displaced from their homes. It was worrying to them, that the marks might be something that could cause a great deal of upset.

"Well ja! Can rememba it as clears as day, Kagome-sama."

She frowned curiously. "And…?" she queried, her tail twitching.

The Inu male stopped and cocked his head to the side—whether it was in thought or in concentration, Kagome wasn't sure, but she let him take his time. She could be patient, for a moment. "Der unique, fo' sure…like claw markin's." He said slowly, hesitantly, "Reminded me o' a bear scratchin' on wood but notta quite."

"A bear?" Another dankai queried from next to Kagome. "Ter are no bears 'ere. Dey up nort!"

"Aye!" Jiro agreed, "But I just tellin' ja what I saws. Dis looks just like a bear, Yori, I swears it!"

Yori, as Kagome noted, must have been the trackers friend. To be so familiar with him, and in front of others, could only mean that they knew each other well.

"And you are familiar with these findings? They could be any number of possibilities, surely no bear has wondered down here and into our clearly marked territory."

Kagome nodded along with the statement. Takashi-sama was right, it could be many things. And since bears—youkai or otherwise—were rare in these parts, it was even more likely that it was another creature.

The group grew quiet, all wondering what the creature could be. Each individual had their own theories, which some voiced but were rejected without much discussion.

The volley of ideas kept the group quite busy. No one could correctly identify the answer even if several options were plausible. "Perhaps…" Kagome spoke up softly, having held off on her own theory until the others had exhausted their own. "…It is one of our own? A young one playing a trick?"

Takashi, their village's reigning provincial Lord, shook his head. "I do not think so! The punishment for something like this is too high. Besides only my vassals and I can reinstate the territory's lines. No other, I am sure of that, Healer. Also our mark is of a clear design, one our Tracker here should know well."

"Aye!" Said the dankai. "Tha' I do!"

Kagome bowed her head, acknowledging the authority behind the statement. "Then there there is something we are missing. We have exhausted every other options. If it is not a claim for territory or a sign of hostility, then what could it be?"

"I'm not sure," Takashi's brows drew together. His green eyes burned with contempt for whoever dared to defy his claim. "I do know that whoever the culprit might be, he will not live to see another day."

His statement brought on a few cheers. Many of the current villagers had lost their homes because of such things and been displaced or forced to travel. Some, like herself, had even lost loved ones. But all of them had come to Takashi-sama's village willingly.

Takashi was known to be a just Lord. There was no doubt that cared for his people. He made sure they were protected, fed regularly, and comfortable among his militia men and Samsaya††. They were all treated well, no matter their station in life—whether they be a healer or merchant. They received what they needed. And for these reasons, it worried many villagers that he could potentially loose his position to a crueler Lord.

For this, they were scared—if such a terrible thing occurred, it would devastate them all. For many of them would have to return to their old ways if they wanted to survive for long.

"We're 'ere, Milord," said Jiro.

The group stopped. Heads swiveled in search of the mark, but no one could seem to find it.

"Where, Tracker? I see it not." Said Takashi as two Samsaya flanked him, wary of an ambush.

"Ta mark is right dar," Jiro pointed to a spot close to the group. "…On da back of dat tree ter."

All eyes swiveled in the direction he pointed. The tree he spoke of was on top of a ridge. It would be easy enough to climb.

Beneath it laid a boulder, which was covered in roots and moss. It was massive, and seemed to cover the front of the ridge, that might have gone back into a small cave if the vines, which swayed with an unknown wind, were anything to go by.

"On the back you said, Jiro?" Kagome asked. She was the first one to step forward—her kitsune curiosity having taken an instant interest.

"Aye," Jiro shuffled to stand beside her, eager to show his findings to someone. "Let me give yah a hand dar, Kagome-sama. Don' wan' you ya to get dirty now."

Kagome smiled at the kind gesture. "Now, Jiro-san," She smiled, although her tone held a bit of a rebuke to it. "You don't need to worry about me little ole me. I'll be just fine."

Jiro seemed skeptical but relented. "Alrigh' Kagome-sama," he said. Still, he watched her carefully. She was such a dainty little thing. He definitely didn't believe that she had once been a fierce warrior. "Jus' don' go hurtin' ere self now. Can' 'ave our healer all unwell, now cans we?"

Kagome smirked. With two swift jumps she had rounded the top. The dankais on the ground laughed heartily, finding amusement in the spectacle. "She's got some power behind those legs don't she?" A Samsaya jeered, which caused the others to laugh once more.

Kagome appeared at the top of the ridge—hands on her hips. She glared playfully down at the dankais and onikais‡ below, but her gaze focused on one male kitsune Samsaya solely. "Be careful, Goro-san." She teased in return. "Next time you come to me with a broken arm, I'll just send you home to heal on your own."

There were a few answering heckles at the statement, that caused the dankai under fire to blush and turn away. "I not like I couldn't heal on my own." He sniffed.

"Aye, but den you'd miss seein' the pretty healer again," said Yori causing Goro to glare at him.

Yori only grinned, before taking a running leap at the ridge to propel himself to the top. The others followed soon after.

When everyone was assembled they turned to the tree and the symbol etched into the bark.

"Is that—"

"It couldn't be!"

"It must be a trick!"

"No, it's not possible." A kitsune male stepped forward. He was an elder and well versed in the traditions and customs of kitsune society. "These are ancient. Very few could know them."

Kagome stared stoically. Carved in the bark of the tree, a circle with three slashes through the middle, stood out starkly.

"Wat 'tis it?" Jiro asked, leaning forward to inspect the marking before shifting his gaze to the group of kitsune standing to the side.

Kagome glanced to the others. Most of them were young, her age or less, but they all knew its meaning and they all feared it.

The mark was a strong claim. It meant only one thing: Dominance. But it did not declare a claim of territory or possessions, but of a female. Only males could use the mark. But it was such an old tradition that it could only mean that the one using it was just as old himself or very well versed in the old ways. But that was inconsequential. Whoever had done this, they had made a very serious declaration. And it could not be taken lightly.

"What should we do, Osamu-sama." Kagome timidly ventured.

Ears laying flat upon her head, she turned her gaze back to the symbol. She didn't quite know what to feel, anger toward the perpetrator, fear for the future, sadness for the one involved. It was just so unexpected.

The elder sighed. "The only thing we can do, Kagome-child." He gazed at her before turning to Takashi. "Nothing."

"What?" Takashi growled. It was obvious he wasn't happy. "And let the mongrel get away with this."

"There is nothing we can do as of yet, my Lord. There are too many unknowns for us to act." Osamu soothed.

"What do you mean?"

Pacing back and forth, Osamu tried to explain. "We do not know who this male is. We do not know if he has honorable intentions. We do not know if he will follow the customs. We simply do not know. And that puts us as a disadvantage. I say, until we have something, we should wait to act."

Takashi was not convinced. "I cannot accept that. I will not. As you said we do not know this dankai and he appears to have no intention of stepping forward. What if he wishes harm?"

"That may be so my Lord, but I implore you not to be hasty." Osamu counseled. "This cannot be as it seems. I agree that this is serious, but to act before we know what he wants or for that matter who...forgive me for saying so, but it would be foolish."

"Foolish?"

"Yes."

Takashi sighed. He paced to the tree and placed his hand atop the mark. "I cannot wait as you ask Osamu. Something must be done."

Osamu took a few minute to think before he replied. "Set up sentries. Employ a few extra warriors. You can increase security, but I do not think it will help. Beyond instigating an early confrontation, it will only ease the villagers into a false sense of security that may make them complacent to the threat."

"I do not think this is the only thing we can do."

"Then what?"

"Find him, try him, kill him. I do not think it so difficult." Takashi said angrily.

Osamu was incredulous. "How will you find him if he is not on your territory? Will you go onto others? Will you start a war with a neighbor just to see this dankai brought down by your sword?"

Takashi growled. His hand that rested atop the mark contracted, crushing the bark. "No."

"Then we must wait."

The idea made no one happy, but for the time being it seemed it was the only thing they could do. Kagome in particular was agitated. She wanted much the same as Takashi. But Osamu was right. There was nothing to do but wait.

* * *

Soled feet tapped against the packed soil of his hideout, drawing his attention to the male youkai standing before him. Bat-like wings twitched under the intense scrutiny of his golden eyes. He could tell that the male was weary and it delighted him.

"What has kept you, my friend?" Said he.

His friend shifted. "I'm sure you already know, Yoko."

Yoko tsked. Yes he knew of the dankai's drunken exploits.

Lazily he cocked his head to the side and watched the black figure. "Indeed." He purred. Fluidly, Yoko stood from his reclined position against the stone wall to stand before his friend. "I have come upon something of...value, Kuronue."

Kuronue's eyes lit with curiosity. "No doubt it comes with a handsome price?"

"My friend, it is priceless." Yoko said, turning his back on his friend dismissively.

"Aye, Yoko." Kuronue smirked. "Of course it is."

* * *

† **_Dankai_ demon word for man/male demon  
**†† **_Samsaya_ essentially a demon Samuari  
**‡ **_Onikai_ demon word for woman/female demon  
**

**Interesting tid-bit: _A league is 5.56 km or 3.5 miles_****  
**


	8. Prompt 8: Torn

Sinful Caress

_Posted: April 16, 2010  
Update: May 22, 2013_

* * *

**-Torn-**

"How did you do this again?"

Marching through the woods with her son Kagome passed startled villagers gathering berries and roots for an upcoming feast. She didn't give them even a minute to register her presence before they were both gone.

"Are you angry with me, haha-ue?" The boy timidly asked. His hand was enveloped in hers. Whether or not it was to keep him by her side or to comfort him, he wasn't quite sure.

Sighing, she shook her head. Kagome was not upset, but her son needed to understand, that getting into a fight with a child who was much large than him, wasn't wise. Not to mention, he had torn his new shirt, which she had worked diligently on for weeks.

"No, I'm not angry. But you mustn't do this, Shippo." She scolded, tightening her grip on his hand, while pulling him to the nearest river. "What if his father hadn't been present? He is twice your age and strength—?"

"I could have beaten him," her son admonished. "And I would have too…if that dankai† hadn't been there…" Shippo glared at the ground, furious with himself, the boy, the boy's father, and his mother too.

"Shippo," she scolded. "That _dankai_ is a Samsaya††. He deserves your respect. You must never say such things." She glared, aggravated with his petulance.

As the resident healer, she was looked at with esteem, and in return, so was her son. But they had superiors too, and the mujina‡ and his son were much higher up on the social ladder than either of them.

Shippo pouted, but with her fiercely determined eyes on him, he could not find the strength to go against her authority. "Yes, haha-ue," he said.

Kagome sighed. Sometimes, being a mother was difficult. "Let's go, little one. We need to get you cleaned up. You're filthy!" Wrinkling her nose, she stared down at the completely ruined shirt. It had mud and blood all over it, not to mention a large glob of horse dung, which the children had accidently rolled in. "Ugh! You smell horrid!"

Shippo's little nose wrinkled along with his mother's. He could agree with her on that fact—he really needed a bath.

They made it to the river without much incident. Kagome removed her son's clothes for him, careful not to get the disgusting mess any more on her child than it already was. He already had dirt and scum all over his face and paws; he didn't need to have more.

After placing his salvageable apparel to the side, she ushered him into the cool stream where she told him to wait for her before going beyond the shallow bank. Taking her outer kimono off, so she did not end up ruining a week's worth of hard work herself, she set it aside—folding hers and her son's neatly—before returning to Shippo with her under kimono on.

They took their time bathing, Kagome mainly scrubbing at her son's skin in order to remove the smell while her son played with the water and laughed frivolously. She smiled at her baby when she was all done cleaning him up. But it fell away within an instant.

They were being watched.

* * *

†** _dankai_ demon word for male/man. **  
††** _Samsaya_ demon word for Samurai  
**‡**_ Mujina_ means badger**


	9. Prompt 9: Overlooked

_Sinful Caress_

_Posted: April 16, 2010  
Updated: May 22, 2013_

* * *

**-Overlooked-**

Staying calm, Kagome took a hold of her son, who had come to notice the change as well. He stood stiffly, his back straight, and eyes impossibly wide. "Calm down, Shippo, don't stare," she whispered. "Don't let them know that we know they're there."

She was quite disturbed herself. The auras were wrong. And they certainly did not feel like anyone of the village. They had such dark, hungry presences, as if they were hunting for something. She didn't like it, not at all. Especially when she thought they might be after her and her son.

With her Shippo in toe she strode out of the water. They moved toward their clothes and she helped Shippo into his pants. She then instructed him to find shelter and to stay there until she came for him. Without another word, he ran into the treeline. Kagome watched him until he was no longer visible, then turned her attention back to their things.

"I know you're there," she said nonchalantly. She stood briefly to put on her kimono and again kneeled so that she could fold the rest of their things.

A few minutes later her ears picked up faint footsteps. They were heavy, as if the one coming her way was wearing thick boots. They was obviously trying to be conspicuous, but why?

Steeling her nerves, she sat up straighter. She place a hand on the ground, feeling for any vibrations that might warn her of an attack. Her movements were measured—deliberate even as she fiddled with her outer kimono, pulling at loose strings and noting edges that could be redone.

"I suppose you are the one who made that mark then?" She said.

The footsteps stopped. "Not I," a dankai said.

Kagome turned, her shoulders tense and eyes hard. "Then who are you? What do you want?"

The dankai remained silent. He was an odd creature—winged, she noted, but not like a bird. His were like leather. Kagome thought he might be a dragon, but his eyes weren't right. He was also black, which while not unheard of in the species, was not usual either. Most were rather colorful. So then what was he? It perturbed her that she didn't know.

She heard him shift. He continued to stare at her, as if analyzing her worth. He seemed to find her wanting when he turned away, his violet eyes burning with malice. "Who I am is none of your concern," he said, "And what _he_ wants is his own prerogative."

"He?" She queried.

"I am surprised by you, Kuronue. You're usually more eager to meet a beautiful onikai."

Kagome stilled. The voice was not that of Kuronue, as he was called. This new voice was deeper with a sing-song quality.

"She is pretty, but only just." The winged one said.

Kagome frowned, but did not let it affect her. She was more perturbed by the fact that she hadn't even heard the other approach. His footsteps, unlike is comrade's, had been silent—seemingly untraceable to her ears. It made her feel very anxious.

Kuronue's friend laughed. Kagome whipped around, glaring. But her glare fell away when her eyes alighted on the male. The newcomer was definitely the one who made the mark. He was a kitsune, and a Silver one at that.

"You?"

He turned his golden eyes to her, "Me."

Her glare returned. "You should leave."

The Silver cocked his head to the side. "I have every intention to."

Kagome was confused. "You do?"

"But of course," he purred. "That is, I will when I have what I came for."

"And what have you come for?"

"Can you not guess?"

Kagome didn't need to. Stiffly she rose. "I have no intention of going with you."

"I didn't think so either."


	10. Prompt 10: Pain

_Sinful Caress_

_Posted: April 16, 2010  
Updated: May 22, 2013_

* * *

**-Pain-**

Shippo watched from the brush, one hand over his mouth and the other holding to his shaking tail. Four more bad youkai had surrounded his mother who remained unaltered and utterly obstinate. The Silver kitsune stood cockily off to the side, while his friend looked out into the trees as if searching for something.

Shippo knew his mother to be capable. His papa used to tell him stories of her bravery and skill. But he was worried. Despite her unwavering appearance, he could tell she was scared. Not for herself, but for him. And he hated it. He should be there with her, helping her, protecting her, like his papa used to. But he couldn't. He was too young.

"You cannot have whatever you wish," his mother said. "And you certainly cannot have me."

The male kitsune gazed upon Kagome with amusement. "I am a thief my dear, I will have what I want whether people approve of it or not."

Shippo was disturbed. The male was smooth. And the way he looked upon his mother was wrong. He didn't understand the emotion precisely, but he knew that he didn't like it.

Kagome huffed. Her ears lay back against her head and her tail whipped from side to side. "Yes well, that is obvious. No dankai of honor would ignore the edicts of society for their own baseless amusement."

"Indeed," the male shrugged unaffected by her barb. "But what is honor but a false belief in virtue. I do not fall for such slavish things. I strive to be a master in all that I do and am. So I need not follow society's edicts for they are no good to me as I am above them."

"Above them?" Kagome said incredulously. "Impossible. We are all a part of society and so must follow its edicts. Even egotistical thieves."

Silence.

Their leader's eyes narrowed. "I think, my dear, we could argue this all day and never arrive at a common answer." He came toward her, his eyes heavy with lust. "Yet what does it matter, for you have just proven that I have chosen very well."

Kagome growled and remained where she was. She was wary for sure, knowing that he could do something beyond her knowledge, but was determined to appear strong.

"Yoko!" Kuronue yelled. Kagome could hear him walking through the underbrush, having at some point left the jeering hoard behind. "Look what I found!"

Startled, Kagome turned and in horror watched the winged youkai approach with her son in hand.


End file.
